Nicole Kidman went to Haiti over the weekend, acting in her role as goodwill ambassador to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). She met with people from the UN Mission in Haiti, and with Haitian women in-country. She also did press for her trip too, which I can understand. If this were Angelina Jolie, I’m sure everyone would be all “OF COURSE SHE DID PRESS, FAMEWHORE” – but that’s part of the job description as a goodwill ambassador, to generate press for your mission or organization. What I don’t think the UN expects, however, if for the interview in-country to be about what films you’ve got coming out:
It’s not easy parting Nicole Kidman from her 2-year-old daughter, Sunday Rose.
“I’ve spent two nights away from her in two years. I’m just so into her. I’m crazy about her. She’s a good little traveler. She flies everywhere and she brings her little toys. It’s not a big deal, traveling with them — but not to Haiti,” says Kidman, calling Thursday from Port-au-Prince after spending a day touring a women’s shelter. “Safetywise, I couldn’t bring her (here), but otherwise, she goes everywhere with me. We were walking through the tent cities today, and it’s just rubble and tents.”
Kidman, 43, spends most of her time living a quiet, suburban life in Nashville with husband Keith Urban and their toddler. But she’s in the Haitian capital as part of her work with United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM); she’s been a goodwill ambassador since January 2006. Her focus? Women’s rights around the world, with this particular outing spotlighting the plight of women in Haiti, which was devastated by a January earthquake.
“It’s not what I get out of it. I feel like I can never put enough into it. The greatest thing my parents did was give me a social conscience,” says Kidman of her UNIFEM work. “For someone like Sunday, for her to be able to be molded, I suppose, to have a very strong social conscience — I would be so proud. I would hope for that. Keith and I are both very committed to that.”
In the Kidman-Urban household, charity is a family business. “Keith has done benefit concerts for us. He’s been so supportive. I’m always like, ‘Hey, I think I might be able to get hold of a musician.’ He’s so lovely,” says his wife.
Kidman, who won an Oscar for 2002’s The Hours, says philanthropy is a big part of her life. “I’m just constantly trying to give a voice to the women around the world, women everywhere, who are in need of help. If there’s anything to be had from having worked for 23 to 25 years of my life, I’m so glad to now be able to do this. I don’t mind being used like that,” she says.
Next up, Kidman goes back to her day job. “I haven’t done a movie for a while. I spent a couple of weeks on the Adam Sandler movie, but that was a tiny role,” she says, referring to Just Go With It, out next year. Later this summer, she’s starting production on Trespass, opposite Nicolas Cage, in nearby Shreveport, La.; she plays a mother protecting her daughter. “That speaks to me,” she says. “I finish filming in September and then hang out with Keith and Sunday” — with a brief outing to promote the intimate drama Rabbit Hole at the Toronto Film Festival.
“It’s a passion project about a grieving couple, and how you get through trauma and loss together and how it affects a marriage,” says Kidman.
[From USA Today]
See, I understand why she talked about her daughter, because I’ll buy that giving birth to Sunday (“giving birth”) changed her as a woman and made her think differently about women’s issues internationally, politically and financially (no mention of Bella, but whatever). But Nicole really shouldn’t be talking about her films, for real. Just a polite, “That’s not why I’m in Haiti, I’m in Haiti to…[mission statement]” etc.
Oh well, at least she looks pretty good, right? Not quite as frozen, although once again, when she’s trying to move her forehead, she looks like she’s about to bust something. Enough with the ‘tox, Nicole.
Nicole in Haiti on July 31, 2010. Credit: Fame.
Am I the only one who finds it creepy that she talks like she only has one child. Its the weirdest thing ever. Forget about her promoting her new films what about the fact that she has basically cut two other children out of her vocabulary. Weird. What the hell happened in that divorce!
frozen face likes fame!
Po-I was going to post the same thing! What the hell?! She’s been a mother for almost 20 years-I don’t buy the “I gave birth” and that’s what changed my mindset.” Soooooo bizarre. There are very few Hollywood relationship/set ups I really would be interested in being a fly on the wall for-but Tom Cruise’s “marriages” are fascinating!
na she was maskerade for his gay-ness, so were the kids. no secret about that one…
i think she never really had contact with them…
Totally agree that it was not the place to discuss her film roles, not at all, and it would have been very easy to say that to the press. She should have done so.
It is weird how neither she OR Tom ever mention their older kids! When Tom was doing his PR blitz courting Katie, he had the paparazzi all around him and those kids, but now you only ever see Suri. And with Nicole, it’s only her youngest. Very strange.
Can someone explain how she can wear long sleeve DARK clothes in Haiti in July? I understand wanting skin protection, but I want to pass out from heat stroke just looking at her.
Well her bio kids don’t live with her. Thats why she doesn’t really talk about them. What would she say about them really? I don’t like Nicole talked about her films while doing UN mission. Angelina is the opposite she will talk about the UN during a movie tour before she ever would during a goodwill mission, never has in fact. That was not right to me, she barely mentioned the people or the women there or anything. Did no one ask her? Horrible interview and pointless because its bringing barely any awareness to the cause which is her purpose for being there.
whats with all the black? I agree Lucy2 what was she thinking.
And shes a bit snotty about her kid not being exposed to the tent city… her older kids would have a eye opening trip for sure and bring that suri brat next time.
Reality…Fantasy…Movie Star…UN ambassador…? Seems like differences are increasingly blurred. So when Kidman is acting as a UN ambassador, she’s ACTING. And, it really shouldn’t be surprising that the role of mother to the adopted kids was a ROLE that’s she’s done with, now. It’s not the movie she’s in right now.
Reminds me of Meryl Streep and Jessica Lange being asked to testify before a Congressional sub committee about the plight of small family farmers because they had played farmer’s wives in movies. Real movie stars….real experts, you know.
From what I’ve glancingly read of Nicole, she’s devoted to her family and now to her husband and Sunday (and was to Tom when they were married). It’s a wacko stretch to think she would flip a switch and not love two children she was mad about anymore, just like I’ve always laughed at this ridiculous story about how she never had visitation. There were pics of her with the kids all over the place, no one bothered to look for them because it didn’t fit with their image of her.
Has it ever occurred to anyone ever that maybe Bella and Connor have asked their parents not to talk about them or that a long time ago a decision was made, even if their parents are “famewhores?” I don’t hear Tom yapping about them either; he gets crap for talking only about Suri too. Maybe it’s not lax parenting but an actual choice made by the four of them (and it also includes the endless photo ops)?
I don’t know why there are always these crazy conspiracy theories about how much Nicole hates her adopted children when there’s an easier answer.
The only thing that really made me said was the part about “giving birth”. I think for most women who have adopted..the process of becoming a mother regardless of the means by which it happens is what changes you mindset. I don’t understand the situation with the older children at all. It seems to me as if Tom was the one that adopted them on his own (could that have been possible). Nicole was a parent to those children at a young age.. yet they call Katie Mom and Nicole by her first name. I don’t understand that at all. And yes it seems as if each of them are living 2 separated lives and the older kids are a n after thought. I read that they actually live with Tom’s sister or mother. Not really with Tom either.. It is just kind of sad..
Well, she supposedly has the same manager now as AJ, so maybe exploiting charity to promote movies is a standard MO. Pretty disgusting.
@lucy2: first thing I thought of was the possibility of heat stroke…lol
black clothing is the best choice for blocking out the sun, but, omg, it is July in the Carribean! She probably had to burn those clothes after that day.
I don’t get it, it’s Summer people, wear Summer clothing for Pete’s sake. All these celebs wearing jackets, scarves & boots look ridiculous. end of rant.
Marsh Angelina doesn’t exploit her UN work for movies and they don’t have the same manager.
I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that she’s kind of new to the UN thing, and may not know how to act appropriately. The only part in this article where she actually talks about Haiti is when she says “We were walking through the tent cities today, and it’s just rubble and tents.” She might have spoken a lot more about it, but the fact that she discussed her personal life meant that that takes precedence in the article. Look, she’s a celebrity. The public is mostly interested in her personal life, not what’s going on in Haiti (sadly). She needs to be smart and use her celebrity so that people who would never read about the plight of women in Haiti will hear about it through her. Like previous posters said, she needs to refuse to discuss her personal life, and most definitely not talk about her movies.
@LoveAngelina (yikes), according to CB itself, Nicole Kidman hired the same manager as AJ. Check out the recent post titled “Nicole Kidman finally easing off Botox and lip injections.” And, yes, AJ does exploit charity to promote movies and herself.
This very easily could have been a two minute aside in a series of long interviews about what they’re trying to achieve in Haiti. It’s from USA Today, you don’t think they cherry-picked the quotes that they thought were interesting to an American audience, namely celebrity stuff? Of course they did.
Love Angelina don’t you know that Marsh knows everything about Angie lol. She is one of the gerbil that live with them, next thing she will be coming out with a book on all about Angelina Jolie lol
The important thing is that the adopted kids are with the parent who loves them.
I think Nicole feelings for those kids are as frozen as her Botox-ed face.
One day she’ll realize you don’t have to give birth to be a mother.
@Alex I wasn’t aware of that LOL But thanks for cluing me in. I know better to question Marsh now. Hahaha
She seems so plastic to me.
Anyway the fact that she purposely avoid to nominate her other two children kind of worry me. She almost NEVER mention them.
Tom does it, at least he’s better than her at this.
Although this actress is saddled with more gossip and rumors than most, we’ll (the public) never know what went down with her marriage and divorce from Tom Cruise. I’m sure it was scarring for her. She’s an excellent actress. I think she lost some acting confidence being a single person; although initially following the divorce she threw herself into her career and made some very good movies. I root for her, strangly because I really hate her obsession with botox.
Maybe her older kids have said don’t talk about us to the press.As for Tom 90% of his comments about his kids are about Suri. Go back and read his interviews this year he has mentioned the other kids maybe 2-3 times. As for NK, UN ambassador, any attention she can bring to violence against women is a plus. I read women in Haiti are being raped when they go to use the bathroom at the tent camps at night.
Nicole is an SP (Supressive Person)- don’t you know by now? That is why Xenu keeps the other 2 kids away from her. Leave the poor woman alone!
Keep rocking Nicole.
Wow-A Frown! nice job laying off the Botox Nikki! Would be nice if she would try to stay away from the needle and knife.
She’s right, Haiti is not the place for a toddler at this time.
I don’t know why people blame Tom for the lack of communcation with the oldest children. Since the divorce there were plenty of photos of Nicole with the kids. It wasn’t until she married Keith that the kids seem to be invisible. I wonder what the relationship is like since Keith also never talks about the oldest kids. Both Tom and Nicole only talk about their biological kids but I see Tom with the adopted kids a lot, although not as much as with Suri.
The Angelina hate is mind boggling. Nicole has been with the UN for 4 years but because she recently hired Angelina’s manager her UN work is now exploitation? Besides I don’t recall Angelina talking about her movies during a UN trip, unless to say I got involved while making Tomb Raider. I hate to break it to people but nobody is going to see a movie because Angelina went to Iraq. I never understood that logic.
Is it sad that Nicole is doing movies with Adam Sandler and Nicolas Cage or am I reading too much into it?
She is just a laid back interview, that’s all. Geez. You ask her a question and she’ll try her best to answer it, she does not have list of “questions/topics not to bring up”.
When Letterman asked her about her children before, she talked a little about them and how they are growing up but said that she isn’t “permitted” to speak about them in public. Don’t know what Scientology crap that is about, but I am sure it isn’t up to her.
People always find a way to pick on this woman, always. She has been doing goodwill work for years (she isn’t new to the UN thing at all) and donated money to orphanages when she films overseas.
Uhh, the reporter may have needed to put in something to his/her story about what’s “next” for her, and so the reporter asked. Kidman answered. Doesn’t seem like that was all she talked about or something. No story here, IMHO.
The interviewer asked a question and she answered but I wish she’d found a way to deflect the question and bring it back round to the reason why she was in Haiti – ya know, to spread awareness. As for the issue of her older children, she’s said (in the past) that she’s not permitted to talk about them so she doesn’t. And yeah it’s good to see her face moving again. Now if only she’ll leave her lips alone.